Diary of a writing, reading, animal loving, travelling Penguin and his mate who love collecting Penguin books, taking photographs and talking to people about Tasmania, Australia

Saturday, 15 June 2013

Hide n Seek Hobart? Certainly hidden today!!

I woke up early this morning, still dark and it was pouring with rain. Thought about going back to sleep but with three hungry dogs who knew I was awake (they listen to me breathe and as soon as it changes any chance of sleeping more is well and truly gone). The sound of the rain on the roof is hard to compete with. I had also committed to working at a market early to raise money for Tasmania's Dogs Home and then had to go down to Salamanca Market to finish the Hide/Seek Book jar's pick.

Fed dogs, drove over to the market and helped them finish setting up and then left for Salamanca market in the city centre down at the waterfront.

Sashiko Design

Mission: Visit Sashiko Design as randomly chosen from the Hide/Seek Book Jar as mentioned in previous post (here) and see if it's book blogger friendly.

I have been looking forward to it all week. Though I didn't think it would rain so hard. Fortunately it was early enough to find a free car park on the main road at the top of the market. I had the stallholders address number so thought a quick run down, a quick chat, see if anything she sold was book friendly then a hot coffee in a warm cafe before heading home.

I hopped out of the car, pulled my collar up around my neck and started hiking down through the market stalls. As I expected not overly busy with such poor weather but there were tourists there with their cameras. The die hards who weren't going to let a little rain ruin their holiday

Top end of Salamanca Market. Only the die-yards out today.

I walked about half along all of the stalls stopping briefly to talk to a friend who has a stall there every week who sells the books they write and illustrate. I asked her if she knew where the Japanese bag stall was and she pulled out the local map of the market and showed me. Good! It wasn't much farther. Another block along and there was the stall holders space. Was I happy? No, not really. The stall holder hadn't turned up in the rain. I am sure that silk fabrics and heavy rain does not go well together but for heaven's sake. Competition is very high to have a regular stall at this Hobart iconic market and she didn't turn up when everyone else did. She perhaps may have had a better excuse than rain but I am not to know. Her market table was there. It was shiny wet and a couple of people huddled next door but Sashiko was no where to be seen.
However all was not lost as there is a bookseller's stall next to her and I found a vintage Penguin book I didn't have. So I happily paid the man for the book. He turned up with all of his books and set up in the rain so I didn't even haggle with him over the price. I didn't have the heart to do that today. Penguins don't cost much anyway.
Then off to the warm cafe for a hot coffee and of course had to have a lovely warm pear Danish with slices of real pear.

The Hide/Seek Hobart book jar is doing what I wanted it to do. It gets me out of the house and active during the cold wet winter months and hopefully keep the black dog at bay. It worked. I had a lovely day out.
Time now to look forward to Monday's choice from the jar. Don't go too far.

2 comments:

How disappointing on your first venture! but I'm glad there were compensations :) I've been thinking about your project, and how many things I still haven't seen here in Houston - even after living here so many years. I love playing a tour guide for guests, but not for myself!

That is always the case isn't it? Seeing things with company but not yourself? My problem is we don't get that many visitors being a little bit out of the way down here. It was a good day though so it was okay she didn't show up. Will visit her another time. Thanks for dropping by.